Editing Romsey Abbey (section)

==Monastic history==
The church was originally built during the 10th century, as part of a monastic foundation of [[Benedictine]] women.{{sfn|Keene|1985|p=1399}} In 968, the abbey was gifted land by [[Edgar, King of England]] and rededicated.{{sfn|Venarde|1999|p=26}} 

The religious community continued to grow and a village grew around it. Both suffered already in the 10th century, when [[Viking]] raiders sacked the village and burnt down the original church in 993. However, the abbey was rebuilt in stone in around 1000 and the village quickly recovered. The abbey and its community of nuns flourished and was renowned as a seat of learning – especially for the children of the nobility.

[[File:Romsey Abbey medieval wall painting.jpg|thumb|left|upright|12th Century wall painting]]
In [[Norman dynasty|Norman]] times a substantial, new stone abbey was built on the old Anglo-Saxon foundation ({{circa|1130}} to 1140 AD) by [[Henry Blois]], Bishop of Winchester and Abbot of Glastonbury, younger brother of [[Stephen, King of England|King Stephen]]. In this general period, the community prospered and by 1240 the nuns numbered more than 100.

It was in this period that the dramatic case arose of [[Marie I, Countess of Boulogne|Princess Marie]] (1136–1182), youngest daughter of [[Stephen of England]]. Marie had become a novice at the [[Higham, Kent|Priory of Lillechurch]] in [[Kent]], but transferred to Romsey in the years 1148–1155, being elected Abbess in 1155, the year following her father's death. In 1159, the death of her brother [[William I, Count of Boulogne|William]] left her as the ''suo jure'' Countess of Boulogne and the following year prompted [[Matthew of Alsace]] to abduct her from her abbey and force her to marry him despite her religious vows, so that he became ''[[jure uxoris]]'' [[Count of Boulogne]] and co-ruler. Though couple had two daughters, the marriage was annulled in 1170 and Marie returned to life as a [[Benedictine]] nun at the Abbey of Sainte-Austreberthe at Montreuil, where she died in 1182, aged about 46.

[[File:RomseyAbbey-West.jpg|thumb|left|West window of Romsey Abbey]]
Despite the faithful service in prayer of many of the nuns over many centuries, there are scattered traces of irregularities in the conduct of the house, of which the evidence would merit impartial investigation with modern historiographical methods, rather than stale prejudice. Some sources accuse the abbess Elizabeth Broke (1472–1502) of ruling over a period of scandal, including allowing poor dress standards for nuns, allowing nuns to go to the towns taverns, poor account keeping and an unhealthy relationships with the Chaplain.<ref name=Perkins>Rev. Thomas Perkins, [https://books.google.com/books?id=_d-caKzecD0C&dq=Abbess+Johanna+Icthe&pg=PT79   ''Bell's Cathedrals: A Short Account of Romsey Abbey, A Description of the Fabric and Notes on the History of the Convent of Ss. Mary & Ethelfleda''] (Library of Alexandria).</ref>

The abbey continued to grow and prosper until the [[Black Death]] struck the town in 1348–9. While it is thought that as much as half of the population of the town – which was then about 1,000 – died as a result, the number of nuns fell by over 80% to 19. 72 nuns died including Abbess Johanna. After the plague there were never more than 26 nuns in the Abbey.<ref name=Perkins />

This so affected the area that the overall prosperity of the abbey dwindled, though it remained an important local institution and continued its traditional functions of prayer and charity towards the local people.